Chapter 25: Absorbing the Past, Searching for the Future
The group stood at the base of the Colosseum, gazing up at the massive structure. Its arches, weathered by time, seemed to whisper secrets of forgotten battles and lost empires. Azaymos, holding the dagger close, felt a strange hum in the air as the runes on the blade began to glow faintly.
Rex sniffed the air, his werewolf senses tingling. "Feels like there's something here... but I don't smell blood. Just... history."
Nox smirked. "Leave it to you to always focus on the blood."
Azaymos raised the dagger, watching as the faint light spread through its runes. "I think it's absorbing energy from the area... Look." The glow intensified for a moment before flickering and then dying out. "But it's not enough. The dagger stopped."
Mara furrowed her brow. "So... what now? This place isn't enough?"
Azaymos nodded. "We need to find more places like this. Something with ancient power. The dagger will recharge fully if we can find enough of them."
Rex tilted his head. "How exactly do we find more places? Do we just... ask around?"
Darius grinned, already pulling a "borrowed" phone from his pocket. "Ah, my friends. Welcome to the world of modern technology. We can use the internet to find other ancient places."
Mara glanced at the device in Darius's hand. "The 'internet'? You mean that thing the girl was talking about earlier?"
Nox raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said it was for watching vampire movies and looking up werewolves. How is that going to help us?"
Darius chuckled. "Oh, it's for more than just that. You can find anything on this thing. Even ancient places filled with magic... if you know where to look."
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As they found a quiet corner near the Colosseum, Darius started tapping away on the smartphone, typing in searches like "ancient magical sites" and "places with historical energy." Rex peered over his shoulder, squinting at the glowing screen.
"What's that thing you're looking at?" Rex asked, frowning. "Maps?"
Darius nodded. "Yep. Google Maps. This thing tells you where everything is—roads, buildings, even landmarks."
Rex leaned in closer, accidentally hitting a button on the screen. The map disappeared, replaced by a list of nearby restaurants. "Oops... uh... is that... food?"
Darius sighed, swiping away the screen. "Don't touch anything, big guy. You're going to get us directions to the nearest pizza place."
Nox chuckled. "Well, we could always use a snack."
Azaymos, meanwhile, observed the people walking past. A group of tourists approached them, snapping pictures of Rex and Nox. One young woman, in particular, stepped closer, eyes wide with excitement.
"Are you two models or something?" she asked, looking from Rex to Nox with awe. "You look exactly like those actors from that new vampire-werewolf series. Oh my god, can I take a picture?"
Rex gave her a puzzled look. "Uh... we're kind of busy here."
The girl didn't seem to care, already lifting her phone to take a picture. Nox, always quick on her feet, threw an arm around Rex and smiled for the camera. "Sure. Why not?"
The girl squealed with delight, snapping a few pictures before running back to her friends, who were equally excited. "They're even cooler in person!"
Rex groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't get it. Why does everyone keep thinking we're from a movie?"
Nox smirked. "Maybe you've just got that star power, Rex."
---
A few minutes later, Darius finally pulled up some useful information. "Here we go," he said, showing the screen to Azaymos and Mara. "There are a few other places in Europe that might have what we need. Stonehenge, for one."
Mara leaned in. "Stonehenge? That place is ancient, isn't it?"
Darius nodded. "Exactly. And there's another spot in Egypt—the pyramids. Old, full of history, probably packed with the kind of energy we're looking for."
Azaymos frowned thoughtfully. "Stonehenge might be closer. But we'll need to be careful. We don't know if these places will have the same kind of energy as the Colosseum."
Nox folded her arms. "And how do we travel to all these places? It's not like we can just walk there."
Darius grinned. "That's where the modern world comes in again. We'll need... plane tickets."
Rex blinked. "Planes?"
Darius chuckled. "Oh, you're going to love this."
---
As night fell, the group continued their research, with Darius quickly explaining how to book tickets online. However, as they discussed their next steps, Azaymos shook his head.
"We're not leaving yet," he said firmly. "We need to stay in Rome for one more day. There's something here something we haven't found yet."
Rex raised an eyebrow. "You think there's more power here?"
Azaymos nodded slowly. "The dagger reacted to this place. There could be more ancient energy in the city. Let's stay tonight and explore further tomorrow. Then we'll move on to Stonehenge."
Mara sighed in relief. "That might be a good idea. We've been drawing a lot of attention. It'll give us time to stay out of sight."
Darius, always resourceful, shrugged. "Alright. One more day in Rome. But after that, we head to Stonehenge."
Rex grinned. "Just as long as we don't run into more of your 'fans,'" he said, glancing at Nox.
Nox smirked. "I don't know... I think I could get used to being famous."
Azaymos turned back toward the Colosseum, his mind still turning over the possibilities of what the ancient site might be hiding. Tomorrow, they would explore more of the city's secrets, but soon, they would leave for their next destination where even greater power awaited
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End of Chapter 25